I have a new best friend. I met him through the yoga studio. He gives me great massages and helps me deal with stress. He might not be a living, breathing, human-being but let me tell you, I think I’m in love.

A few months ago I was having some issues with sore muscles in my thighs. I had received a massage but going in once a month was just not doing it for body. Melissa Harris (one of the beautiful and talented massage therapists at Ethos) suggested that I buy a foam roller. She just happened to have a few she was selling so I bought it, tried it out and for the first couple of days I was geeked. It was painful but pleasant at the same time. It was like a massage therapist in my house but I didn’t know much about it and as with lots of good things, it was put on the top shelf in my bedroom and never to be heard from again. Well, maybe not never. See, days went by and then… to my absolute surprise and excitement Ethos announces a Roll and Release workshop. Heck yeah! I was like, “Sign me up!”

Last weekend during the Roll and Release workshop at Ethos, Andrew, a certified massage therapist, guided 16 of us through a 2 1/2 hour massage extravaganza. We breathed, we rolled and we definitely released. Andrew was such a great instructor. His knowledge of the body and muscles and his experience as a massage therapist made for a super informative and accessible class. Using a foam roller, a yoga block and two tennis balls I’m pretty certain I became aware of at least a million places in my body that I was holding tension without realizing it. Suprise! And I thought yogis didn’t have tension. Tension, as explained by Andrew, is not only caused by the physical things that we do but can also arise from the emotions we experience. And tension in one part of the body can definitely cause irritation in another so it’s important to approach the practice holistically. I loved the class so much that I have been having a late night affair with my foam roller every night since. I think you should try it out. I mean who wouldn’t mind a new best friend. :-)